Jason DiNardo

About Jason DiNardo

http://www.revelstokesnowboardclub.com

Posts by Jason DiNardo:

January 25 2022

Interview – Turbo Bambi

Jason DiNardo Interview artist, Interview, public art, Revelstoke, Snowboarding 0

From Public Art to Women’s snowboarding we cover some great topics in this interview with Bambi.

It’s hard for me to put into words what strikes me about Bambi and why I had to do this interview after spending some time with her the last couple of winters. I guess it’s because you can’t ignore her passion for all things around the lifestyle/ skate, snow, surf culture. Her artwork, her snowboarding, her active involvement to make a welcoming space for women to skate and snowboard is why we are all lucky to have her as part of the community.

Rapid Fire Questions

How many years have you been snowboarding? since ’94, so… 28 years & a couple of wrinkles.

First Board? K2 Juju and stiff like a 2×4.

How much of that time has been in Revelstoke? I’ve been in Revy for 5 years. I moved to here in 2017 after spending 10 years in Whistler. Came for the pow and stayed for the people.

Favourite Snowboard Movie? True Life – Mack Dawg Production in 2002 marked my youth.

Favourite snowboarder: Torstein, king of style & clean tricks.

Toeside or heelside? I wish I could say toeside, but heelside. Maybe one day.

“You got this” Digital art By Turbo Bambi

In a nutshell, give us the low down on your shred history?

Growing up in the sub-arctic climate of Quebec, I started skiing (on ice) around 4 y/o but was never really a fan. I would beg my parents to leave me in the lodge while they went skiing but that was not an option. At 11, I officially quit skiing. That year, my sister and my dad got into snowboarding. When they came back after their first day of riding, my older sister told me I HAD to try. And of course, being the youngest and looking up to my sister and my dad, I gave it a try. I was instantly hooked! Which, looking back, seems strange, because I doubt I even made a turn on the first day. But the lifestyle surrounding the sport is what I related to the most.

Fam Trip in Alberta + BC, 1997.

Then I became the stereotypical French-Canadian jibber, because at my local mountain, Stoneham, pow is not as easy to find, especially if you’re a student and ride mostly at night. While in high school, I took a trip to the West Coast with my family and the second we got to Whistler, I knew in my bones I would live there later in life. Once I graduated Uni, I packed my car, drove to Whis and rode park for about 10 years. I started dipping my toes in the backcountry, bigger lines and deeper pow when I lived on the Coast but fully immersed myself into it when I moved to Revy in 2017. Since then, my favourite thing is to use those park skills in the backcountry, find tasty-looking lines, build jumps and throw some WOO’s around all day!

I gotta say though… with all the snow we have in the valley right now, I got an itch to hit some street features.

Could you tell us a little bit about the relationship between snowboarding/skateboarding and art for you? (explain shred & create)

Shred & Create — That’s the motto! As you can tell on @turbobambi_design, my art is heavily influenced by what I love the most AKA the snow-surf-skate lifestyle… Every adventure, big or small, is a time to clear my mind and make room for inspiration. Over the years as a full-time freelance artist, the work opportunities coming my way are becoming more aligned with my true values and passions. Those projects are the most meaningful because they allow me to create my best work and collaborate with people I genuinely connect with. It seems like, the more I shred, the more I get to create what truly inspires me…

It’s called: The Powder of Attraction.

You painted a Rail in the park this year, looks so rad. How did that come about?

Thank you! I’m so grateful to be able to collab with my local mountain for this project! The idea to paint the rail came when Simon, head of the park, complimented my latest mural displayed downtown. For those who aren’t familiar, it’s a 15’x20′ interactive mural called “I hugged a Bear in Revelstoke” in the back alley by City Furniture. You can’t miss it with those bright colours and intriguing characters.

Following Simon’s comment, I mentioned my interest to do something similar for RMR’s terrain park. Couple of weeks later, he had the perfect rail for me to paint, which also happens to be my favorite rail to ride. The feedback has been phenomenal and it’s given me motivation to steer more of my work in that direction. Who knows, maybe I’ll get to paint more rails for next year!

By the way, thank you for shooting it with me! Those photos and clips are amazing!

Turbo Bambi Rail at RMR – Rider: Bambi – Photo: Hywel Williams

“I hugged a Bear in Revelstoke” Art Installation / Mural By Turbo Bambi Downtown Revelstoke

Personally, I love to see all these public art pieces like the rail, Art Alleries etc. Do you enjoy these and what effect do you think it has on people and the community?

I absolutely love creating public art because they’re usually bigger pieces and displayed outside, which adds a certain element of surprise. As an artist, people would expect to see my work at an art gallery or a cafe, but to stumble upon my art in a back alley or the terrain park, is not as predictable.

My goal with these pieces is to spark curiosity, make people smile, and create a memorable moment when they interact with it. I love meeting people but I also spend a lot of time creating in my studio, so having some pieces out there feels like an extension of myself where I can connect with people without being there in person. A lot of times, people will send me photos of them with my art, and that’s always a great conversation starter.

It was really cool to see you in “Whaddaday!” and working with us (Revelstoke Snowboard Club) to put on the girl’s ride days and your involvement in Louise on Wheels. Could you chat to me a bit more about this and your thoughts on women’s snowboarding right now?

The girls ride day was awesome! Bringing the initiative of the Snowboard Club with the L.O.W. skater posse was a recipe for success! I noticed that some girls who are new to town, took this opportunity to meet people which I think is key in a resort town. I remember my first few months in Whistler, I didn’t ride as much as I’d hope because I didn’t have many friends to shred with. If those ride days can help people connect and ride together, I’m all for it.

Funny how you bring up “Whaddaday!” and my thoughts on women in snowboarding becauuuuse… When we went out in the backcountry last winter, I wasn’t necessarily planning on filming or hitting the jumps… I was just happy to play in the snow. I was taking clips of the crew on our first jump and I got curious to try. The first jump I hit had a gap to clear and I was so nervous, my legs were shaking and I had to take a couple of deep breaths to calm myself down. I hit it, didn’t die, and was hooked for the rest of the winter.

The boys were always talking about how they envisioned the movie, and I was stoked for them even though I never really pictured myself in it. Last summer at the skatepark, Dinomike asked me to come over and watch my part to see if I liked it. I was so surprised! I didn’t think he used my shots, let alone a full part. I was stoked they included me!

The best part was the turnout of our Premiere! Everyone got to get together before the winter, get fired up, and start making plans for the season! To me, this is what snowboarding is all about!

Good friends, good times, and a ton of adrenaline!!!

Women in snowboarding

Without even realizing, I was excluding myself from the guys’ project, probably because that’s what I’ve seen my whole life — most snowboard movies are 90% men. Then came the all women’s movies like Peep Show, Runaway Films and The Uninvited showcasing INSANE riders. It’s mind blowing what the level of women in snowboarding has become.

I also really enjoy the documentary movies like Our Fabric by Robin Van Gyn featuring women in the snow/surf/skate community. I can appreciate the bangers just as much as the causes these ladies stand for, and their craft.

The fact that these ladies took the initiative to make their own snowboard movies, not only put the spotlight on how badass they are, but inspired a whole generation to keep pushing. I’m a firm believer that the more you see someone like you do something, the more relatable and attainable it becomes. “If she can do it, I can do it!”

Louise on Wheels

That’s exactly what happened when I started skateboarding with all the ladies from Louise on Wheels. We would all progress at our own pace, and when someone tried something new, it gave everyone the fire and the confidence to try it too.

Rider: Bambi – Photo: Lauren Powers

Whos getting you hyped right now? Snowboarding and Art wise.

– Leanne Pelosi is an absolute sender and pioneer. Along with her ladies’ shred posse, she opened the doors for many women in snowboarding.

– Jessa Gilbert who lives from her art and snowboarding is big inspiration for me.

– The amazing work of Lucas Beaufort, especially on his snow/skate related projects.

– Jess Kimura’s energy, talent and style.

————————————————————————-

Amazing, thank you so much for taking the time and chatting with us.

To everyone reading you can not only find Bambi’s art work in the RMR park and the Alley ways of Revelstoke but at the following place online

Insta – @turbobambi_design

www.turbobambi.com

Most importantly support local artist by buying their rad creations!

January 12 2022

Interview – Dan Stewart

Jason DiNardo Interview Canada, Interview, photography, Revelstoke, Snowboarding 0

Not long after I (Hywel Williams) moved to Revelstoke 6 years ago I was given the opportunity to jump in a helicopter and shoot photos of Heliski guests, I couldn’t believe my luck, not in my wildest dreams did I imagine this. Alain Sleigher (another rad photographer!) was the man behind that opportunity, but it’s Dan Stewart that keeps me flying and is on hand to help me on my own photography journey.

As I sat down with Dan and asked him how he got into photography, I began to realize that like most creatives this is a long and winding story, therefore not a question for a written interview (totally worth asking him about it though, super interesting!). Dan’s mum may have owned a camera store before he was born and continued to work in the photo world but it wasn’t until college that he got his first camera, a whole 4MP. A move to Revelstoke fuelled Dan’s snowboarding passion whilst he got to explore life behind the lens, stints at CP Rail, economic crisis all of this played its part but it’s his hard work and dedication that moves him forward.

In the past 5 years, I have watched Dan relentlessly push himself to create better and better work. He now works with some of the top athletes in the game and his work graces the pages of Ski, Snowboard and Kayak magazines on a regular basis, with him also bagging some covers, the holy grails of photography!

How many years have you been snowboarding Dan?

I started snowboarding on January 1st 2000 so almost 22 years. (At the time of this release 22 years! Nice work Dan.)

How much of that time has been in Revelstoke?

I have been in Revelstoke 13 years. I moved here the end of the first season the hill was open, after I finished university.

Favourite Snowboard Movie?

Easy! Future Proof by Absinthe Films. I have been obsessing over that ever since it came out!

Toe side or heel side?

Toe side all day!

Massive Drop - Tristan Hansen

How did snowboarding start for you?

I grew up in Ottawa, my family weren’t skiers or boarders. We did have a ski club through elementary school, one year I begged and begged to go. At like 12 or 13 I got to go every Thursday night to Camp Fortune. I saw some people snowboarding, thought that was interesting and eventually got to give that try in the new millennium. As soon as I had linked a couple of turns I was hooked, and when I caught my first air, then I was obsessed. Couldn’t get enough of that feeling.

What do you love about riding and shooting here in Revelstoke?

I love powder. Just as when I first started snowboarding I was addicted to the feeling of catching air, now I chase the feeling of bottomless snow, and there’s an abundance of that here. Same goes for shooting, I love capturing people’s forms as they’re cruising ripping through untouched snow.

You’ve been working with some big names the last few years, what does a general day out with say, the pirate crew look like for you as the photog? (New movie just dropped)

It’s pretty straight forward and I must say nothing really changes based on the size of the production really. We generally meet nice and early before the sun is creeping up, be it at the gas station or breakfast joint. I generally have a chat with the filmers and / or producer to check in with what they’re ok with, such as if it’s alright to use a flash or not. To be honest, I’m only there cause they are making a movie so I have to be good with whatever they throw at me. When on location, I’m always checking in with the filmers to make sure I’m out of frame or making sure any of my tracks will be out the shot.

Cover Shot - Darcy Keller

How gnarly are these guys and girls in the flesh?

They are very gnarly, but at the same time they are incredibly measured and calculated. They have a pretty good idea of what they are sizing up and know what does and doesn’t work. They are also human, I’ve seen many times where they size up a feature and back down for whatever reason.

Do you have shots planned out when you leave the house or is it quick thinking when you get to a zone? Whats the prep?

Depends on the day. If I’m out with a crew I’ll try not to have a plan, but I’ll be as prepared as I can for anything that *could* turn up. Things like light, mood and trick selection will have a massive influence on how I shoot a feature. I do go out with intention though. I’ll have some photo ideas that I’ll be playing with in my head and will keep those in my back pocket for when the right opportunity arises.

Who’s been inspiring you lately? Snowboarders, artist, photogs, friend?

Lots has been inspiring me lately. There’s some incredible imagery out there, and whenever I see something that I really like, I’ll make it an exercise to deconstruct the image on what makes it work. I’ve been really getting into infrared photography lately, so a lot of my attention has been in those avenues. Learning new techniques, figuring out what works, doesn’t work, etc.

In terms of other snowboarders I love what Dustin Craven is doing showcasing more of the interior scene with his films “Oh Boy” and “Oh Man.” I love watching style kings Arthur Luongo and Kevin Backstrom.

I am enthralled with Jessa Gilbert’s artwork, it comes to mind right away. On that note I also love Hayley Stewart – I find hers interesting cause a lot of her ‘scenes’ that she creates is what I’m now trying to explore photographically with my infrared camera.

What are you looking forward to this winter?

Getting weird! Trying new ideas out. Seeing what the crews come up with for shred ideas. It’s all so exciting every season. I’m also looking forward to my next toeside turn.

Still get enough riding in for yourself? How do you balance that? Or keeping the passion isn’t an issue?

I do my best to make sure I get to ride for myself in the early season. A lot of days at the resort and touring without a camera to make sure that I still love it. I also have a LOT of fun when I’m riding at Selkirk Tangiers, although it is with a camera on. It doesn’t matter though, the feeling of shredding pow is the same. When it comes to filming season though, I’m 100% all in. I’m there to document and create, and I make sure that’s the priority. If I get a chance to go for a lap I’m hyped but I’m there for the riders. I want to showcase them the best way possible. The great thing about this is that I don’t really feel like I’m working when I’m shooting on the snow most of the time. I’m just having so much damn fun with it all still.

Gigi Ruf

Method - Victor Daviet

Best or worst piece of advice you’ve been given?

My best advice I’ve received and pass along is to not give away your work, and to know your worth.

Shoutouts?

Thank you Karl at Society Snow and Skate. Thank you Nitro Snowboards for keeping my boards, bindings and boots fresh. Thanks to Sweet Protection for keeping me safe and dry and Autumn Headwear for keeping my head warm. Massive thanks to Kolari Vision for helping me take my infrared work to the next level.

Thank you to all the photo editors out there taking the time to review my work. Thank you Steve Shannon, Ryan Creary and Bruno Long for critiquing my photos whenever I ask.

Thank you to all the riders out there that I’ve worked with who have trusted me to showcase their skills the best way I can. I really appreciate capturing all these special moments and I’m hyped to keep doing this for as long as I can.

Last but not least thank you to my lovely lady Adrie – she helps me through it all and does so with a smile.

Road Gap - Dustin Craven

Check out Dan’s work at

www.danielstewartphoto.com

@danielstewart_photo

December 22 2021

Interview – Mike Graves, AKA Dino Mike

Jason DiNardo Interview Interview, Non Profit, Revelstoke, Snowboarding, Snowboardmovies 1

Years in Revelstoke?

Favourite Snowboard movies?

The Wild Cat movies for sure.

Do you have any all time favourite or inspiring snowboarders?

I’d probably say like Nicholas Mueller and Gigi Ruf are major inspirations. More local and you have the likes of Johan Rosen, Dustin Craven all those guys are rad and doing cool shit right here and now.

Favourite trick?

Front 720 off the toes! Just feels crazy good!

Originally from?

Nova Scotia, drove my little Camry 6000km, was a big deal for me and I haven’t really wanted to leave since.

Did you know you were coming to Revelstoke when you did that? Had you been here before?

Yeah, I had been here on a couple of trips/ I was looking for a place to move, looked at Banff and Golden and they just seemed a bit too much for me, too touristy. Whereas Revelstoke felt more in the middle of nowhere, but still along the Trans Canada.

How did you start snowboarding? Like when & how did that happen for you?

I started of skiing and then my brother started snowboarding, at around 12 I wanted to do what my brother was doing. So I remember taking a couple of lessons.

Then one year we went to Lake Louise on March break, and got a couple more lessons. I remember doing a run with my family but getting lost in the woods. Screaming and crying, having to take off my board and walk through deep snow. Kind of a horrific memory, turns out I was just between two cat track, so not really lost at all. I guess weirdly those experience grew on me and now I love going into the backcountry.

Haha, the right of passage! Yeah so those experiences grew and you started competing at some point, right?

Yeah. So another March break trip we went down to California to Kirkwood and there, I entered in my first snowboard contest, which was a snowboard cross race. It was super fun and jokes. I met a couple of American kids that I wouldn’t have normally met going snowboarding. Of course I was nervous and stuff but I ended up getting third in the contest, which was sheer luck. People fell in front of me, so I got to get over them and make it through.

That’s competition right there.

Yeah totally. After that I realised you can compete and snowboarding, and it’s a lot of fun. When I went back to Nova Scotia, I joined the Nova Scotia snowboard team. I started doing snowboard cross racing, and I met a great group of people and we were all super into it. And the Canada games were coming up. This was like 2010 going on 2011. So we were all pushing really hard to get those spots. Which I didn’t end up making it, but I got to for run, I was really young and everyone else was a lot older, so I was still super stoked.

I was still competing pretty heavily and I went to the world university games in Italy and that was like the biggest shit show of my life. Showed up in Italy, all my gear had been lost so had to borrow everything until competition day. I wasn’t sure but it was costing a lot of money to achieve very little. I still love snowboarding, just doing it for myself.

Right, so is that when the shift to doing more video stuff happened, or had that element always been there?

So it was kind of always happening as a very side aspect of it, but it slowly grew and grew. I loved to throw a GoPro on my head and rip through a border cross course and then put music of the run or something like that. Then after training or competition stuff we just started taking cameras out to have fun and film all kinds off stuff.

Just fun to film with of your friends.

Yeah, and then I guess for me I now this on film forever. Just be able to remember it forever. Like yeah., take me back to that moment.

Let’s just jump into the movie that you put out year. Where did thee name come from?

Honestly, like we were struggling really hard to pick a name for the movie. We were just like, what do we say every day that like some it all up and so often we would say Whaddaday!

You’re just like, bam, there’s the name for the movie.

Who’s in the movie?

Ah, so my there’s a lot of us, but like the crew mainly was myself, Lucas, Nato, Andrew, and Bambi. Then just like everyone else who had shred with us had a part in the friends section.

Did you have an overall vision or goal for the movie?

There wasn’t really a goal for it. I knew over the years, I’ve always really enjoyed making an end of year edit. I remember at the beginning of the year I found a great deal on a cinema camera. So I was like, well, I’m gonna scoop that up cuz I want that for my life. It just came down to like, yo, like let’s use this thing as much as we can. That’s kind of what we did. We’d always talk like, oh, what are we gonna do with all this footage. It was kind of just a throw together

I think you lot crushed it, with the screening on the truck at City Transfer it definitely felt like hanging out having good times with the homies!

Yeah, it was cool. How much of the community was down to not only come out and watch, but like support local snowboarding stuff. Kurt, the owner of Infinite Power Sports was so down to have us play a movie at his place, which we were stoked on. And then all the companies, Society, Free Spirit, Somewon just name a few, they were all super down and very helpful. It was pretty incredible that a bunch of snowboarders could put this all together and have people come watch it and be stoked.

That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day, get everyone stoked!

November 30 2021

Interview – Photographer, Laura Szanto

Jason DiNardo Interview Interview, Non for profit, Photographer, Revelstoke, Snowboard Revesltoke, Snowboarding 0

If you have spent more than five minutes in Revelstoke, you know there is no shortage of passionate snowboarders. Throughout this winter, we will bring you interviews with a tiny portion of these fine folk. Delving deep into their minds could be a perilous journey, but we think we are up to the task!

Contributed by @MadelaineDuff

This week, we chatted with Laura Szanto, an internationally published photographer whose beautiful work is hard to miss. Although we have many friends in common and had chats over the gram, we had never actually met in person. Her kindness, warmth and passion for Snowboarding and photography were evident from the get-go. Sharing both these passions meant that staying on track and not getting too deep into a subject was a little tricky, haha. So here is a mere snapshot of our conversation.

Hey Laura, so good to finally sit down a chat with you in person. How long have you been in Revelstoke now?

I have been here for 4 years, which admittedly has gone by very quickly! I live here now, because 7 years ago when I used to live in Banff, I came to Revelstoke for a ski trip. My first experience was memorable, and I remember thinking ‘holy shit, this is way better snow quality than anything i’ve ever experienced in the Rockies.’ After a few more trips, I decided that I really liked the vibe of the town and the type of complex riding that the resort had to offer. The terrain here was really incomparable to any other ski hill I had ever been to before. I enjoyed that at the resort, it was a choose your own adventure kind of day. You could find exceptional lines that involved couloirs, pillows and cliffs. My level of riding has definitely accelerated in the last couple of years.

Totally, There are many options to push yourself if you want to, even in bounds.

Yes, and the added cherry on top is the slackcountry available at RMR too. The stuff you can access walking just 10 minutes straight of the lifts is pretty mind boggling!

The snow and the riding drew you those first couple of trips, but what solidified those decisions for you?

I think Revelstoke is more my style in terms of getting outdoors; people are stoked to be active and keen to explore, and I have found a good community for me too. One of the aspects I really enjoy about living in this town is the accessibility we have with just about any outdoor activity. You can bike ten minutes to impressive trails, and even belay straight from your car at some of the local crags! When the driving is minimal, you are able to spend more time exploring and connecting with those around you.

Yeah, I was going to ask, you found a community you felt at home in quickly here?

It actually took some time. Revelstoke, because it is not as transient as Banff, it felt that people were quite established in their own groups of friends, but I feel like now I have found such a good community of people and everybody is so passionate about similar things. It’s pushed me out of my comfort zone to try so many new things! I hadn’t tried ski touring, frisby golf (haha) and mountain biking before I moved here, so now I have picked up all these exciting new hobbies that keep me even busier than I was before. I have also grown a lot on the athlete side, which has allowed me to be a more versatile photographer.

Right, totally not alone in that. Moving can always be tough to start. So, important question, How did you get into Snowboarding? How’d that come about?

My whole family skied, and then when I was 15, my Dad bought a snowboard. And I was like, my Dad is so cool, I should also definitely do that! So I got a snowboard, and he taught me on the less so glamorous ski hills around Ottawa and Quebec. Although they were tiny and barely comparable to any mountains out here, I still remember loving the feeling of gliding and the flowing movement of being on a snowboard. 10 years later, when I moved to Banff, I had such easy access to the ski hills that instead of going 5-10 times a year, I went over 50 times. It’s enough to see improvement and to get hooked on feelings of progression, creativity and expression.

Sounds like a cool Dad. Good job, Dad! Speaking of creativity, who’s been inspiring you lately?

I think for snowboarders, I really admire people like Jess Kimura and Leanne Pelosi. They have paved a way through a very male-dominated sport, and their grit, fearlessness and style is so admirable. I know that when you’re in a male-dominated atmosphere, it feels like you are swimming against the current, and they have persevered and made a path for women to thrive and shine. And they’re badass ladies!

On the more photographic side, I really like the work of Tara Kerzhner, Sofia Jaramillo, Savannah Cummins, and Krystle Wright who are all action sports filmmakers and photographers. Also, badass and amazing athletes in their own right. They have each gone through a lot in their personal lives to create very high-calibre work.

Love it! Such a crew of amazing people mentioned there (if you don’t know them, go look them up!)

I have seen a decent amount of your work, and what’s stood out to me is your adaptability across a range of genres. What helps you to be so versatile in your photography?

I think the most important thing in photography is shooting something you’re interested in, that above all else produces good content. I’ve learned a lot from shooting things I’m not as comfortable in because I am curious to learn. It didn’t always come naturally, but I have tried to school myself in different lenses, different lighting and different circumstances. People think because you’re a photographer, you can just take pictures of everything. Still, different categories come with different lens choices, lighting, and post-processing work. All those things have to come together. Photography forces a lot of self-reflection and really makes you grow. It feels like you never stop learning; I’ve never got the point like I’ve done it, this is the end.

Adaptability comes from learning along the way too. Every time I shoot something, I learn something new. Photographers don’t talk about this much, but everyone makes mistakes. It’s a crazy learning curve where you think you have something dialed, and then life throws you a new curveball and you are forced to try something different.

Yeah, I often sit down to learn new things/ techniques in photography and quickly realize even after this long, I have barely scratched the surface.

I really do appreciate the whole process of being creative. The brainstorming of ideas, the production planning and just bringing everything together to make it possible. It’s an incredible feeling to imagine a shot that you want, and then actually producing it.

What are a few of those lessons you have learned with shooting Snowboarding?

With sports, a huge part is communication. This may not come intuitively to some people, but if you want someone to be somewhere in a shot, you have to learn precisely how to communicate with an athlete. This of course isn’t always easy, especially with a sport like Snowboarding, where circumstances and variables are constantly changing.

With athletes, it’s really important to learn how to work with them. A good balance of asking them where to be while allowing them to do what really gets them hyped is a good combination. Good chemistry is key, and if you can choose, I have found more success in this.

Preparedness is important for a shoot. If you are able to rehearse ideas, scope out locations and have a shot list available, it allows you more time for creativity.

Right, if you’re anxious, it’s harder to be open to creativity.

What’s getting you excited to get out and shoot this winter?

I just bought a shiny new flash this year, so I am excited to get out and practice doing some night snowboard photography (I do shoot skiers too by the way!). I’ve also been toying with the idea of teaching some adventure workshops at some point this year if I can find the time. I think this town might have some interest in that.

I would like to shoot more people from different backgrounds, ethnicities and genders. It’s definitely changing, especially in the last year, I’ve seen many films shining a light on different communities and different kinds of people, which is important.

Fannie Dufour, West Kootenay Back country, shot by Laura Szanto.

Yeah, I agree. I think Mountian culture has generally been affluent white people, and being able to show that it is a space for everyone needs to be done more.

Agreed! A particularly (maybe even the most important) aspect of this line of work is that I do get to work with a diverse range of talented people. Which does change your life in exciting ways, and I’m so deeply appreciative of that. Photography has led me to some of the coolest people I have ever met.

Haha, yup! Thanks for the chat, Laura! I will chuck some notes at the end here as to where people can find your work, and also those you mentioned earlier.

Find Laura’s work at

lauraszanto.com

@lauraszanto

Check out these other inspiring women on Instagram:

@jess.kimura @leannepelosi @sav.cummins @krystlejwright @tarakerzhner